Wire Gauge:

American Standard Wire gauge for non-ferrous metals is the standard tool for measuring the thickness of your wire or sheet.

You may not need one of these right away, especially if you keep your materials clearly marked.  But once you are trying to figure out which gauge your material is, you’ll need one of these or a caliper to measure. 

Measuring your metals to check the gauge…

Wire and sheet are sold in gauges referring to their thickness.  A wire gauge is used to determine what gauge or thickness your material is.  It’s important when purchasing a gauge for jewelry purposes, you get one for non-ferrous metals.  The gauges are a bit different for ferrous metals (any metal with iron in it) like steel.

Here’s a video showing how to use your wire gauge to measure your silver wire or sheet.  It even shows how you can use your gauge to measure what gauge wire was used to make a jump ring you have laying around…